What Ever Happened to Boss Battles?

After defeating the mighty Gears of War 2 this weekend, I was hit with a startling realization that I had heard repeated a few times before in its reviews- the ending boss was majorly lame. It was truly baffling. In this day and age, many of the blockbuster titles that we seem to play don’t have those uber boss battles that we used to know and love from when we were younger.

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Consoles Going Extinct?

While I’ve sometimes engaged in the discussion that this console generation just isn’t quite cutting the mustard in terms of offering a true next generation experience, I often find myself alone in that opinion. This becomes especially apparenty after browsing through other gaming blogs, where nobody seems to be raising or caring about this issue, or demanding more from the current generation.

That’s why it was really refreshing to read a new editorial over at ClickZ, where Kevin Carney wonders if consoles are becoming extinct because of “casual gaming” as well as the Internet. He argues that this generation lacks any true sense of innovation that others generations have had, and is retreading the same material.

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Up On My Soapbox: Censoring Video Games

First things first: I am a flaming liberal who believes in a high amount of freedom. So I don’t believe in censorship of any kind. I do understand and support the need for a rating system, both in movies and in games. Nothing pisses me off more than when I go to see Zach and Miri Make A Porn and in the middle of a movie, a couple of 14 year olds stroll in. Hearing 12 years old talk about GTA and Gears of War irritates me as well because those games are for adults.

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Pitch Your Game: Ridiculous Version

Here at GamerSushi, we’re not only about talking about our favorite video games, we’re all about being creative and making them, too. Granted, none of us are developers, coders, artists, and any of that stuff. But we can play a mean lick on Guitar Hero or pull off a triple jump on Mario. That should be enough right?

Since we’re completely qualified to make up new games, we figured we’d start off with some of the most ludicrous, ridiculous, cheesy and stupid ideas for video games that we could think of, in a new feature called “Pitch Your Game!”

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5 Features That More Shooters Need

Shooters, shooters, shooters. Gaming is full of them these days. I mean, one has to look no further than this year’s gaming line-up of heavy hitters and system sellers like Call of Duty: World at War, Resistance 2, FarCry 2, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Mirrors Edge, Quantum of Solace and the like to see that shooters have replaced the titles of old. 

With all of these titles coming out, it’s easy to start wanting a little more from the genre. At this point, we’ve slaughtered so many imps in Doom and Nazis in Wolfenstein 3-D that we kind of know what to expect.

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Next Gen Underachievers

Remember when your teacher would give you progress reports and it always said something like, “Not living up to potential”?
Yeah, me either. But I am sure it happens to people out there, just as we know that some games are not living up to their next-gen potential. This post will examine these chronic underachievers.

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The Gaming Fortune Teller

Welcome to a new GamerSushi feature wherein Anthony and I interview The Gaming Fortune Teller, the world’s most famous gaming prophet. He is blessed with the uncanny ability to predict gaming events before they happen. He even called the fall of the Virtual Boy, and we all know that came out of left field.

So without further ado, I present to you our recent sit-down with the Fortune Teller, who only appears once in a lunar cycle, coincidentally. Something about vaccinations. We asked him some of our more pressing questions concerning our favorite pasttime, video games.

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Sony Patents Motion Control Device, Good for Waggles

Sigh. Given Nintendo’s hysterical success this generation, this shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise. We all knew it would come to this. With rumors of Microsoft working on a similar device, it seems that the end is nigh for those of us that like to play games like normal people: Sony has patented a motion control device.

The device relies on ultrasonic and video signals to track its position in relation to a camera and its distance away from it. It actually seems more like a break-apart controller that can be reassembled in different formations, including a massive beating stick.

So what do you guys think? Sony just covering its bases? Or the sign that next gen is going to be super motion-tastic from more than just Nintendo?

Source- Videogaming247

The Review Blitz

Ah, this is a subject I could rant on for hours on end. Kotaku’s magician-writer Brian Crecente has written an editorial piece about “The Rush To Review”, asking why people get reviews for games out so fast. His main case concerns Little Big Planet, whose reviews came out two weeks ago, even though the game wasn’t fully playable (the servers STILL aren’t running).

I felt this way about GTA IV and I totally agree that this question needs to be asked more often. To me, a game that relies on user content needs to be reviewed a few weeks after the game ships, to see how the game holds up. Sure, you can review the solo stuff, and it sounds like LBP’s is still great, but don’t tell us the whole game is perfect if you don’t know.

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GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather?

Ah, since the new season of games is upon us, I thought it was time to bring back another “Would You Rather” feature for the GamerSushi audience. The last one had such solid feedback, it seemed that this would start some good conversation as well.

In “Would You Rather’, I simply ask a series of questions, and you follow up with your responses. Give as much or as little explanation as you want with your answers.

Unless they suck. In that case, a dog will come after you with mouth-bacteria.

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EA to Build on Dead Space Model

Just like Legos, these new and creative game properties are.

Over the last few years, EA has been reinventing itself as a company. At one point it was notoriously known for the garbage of Madden and the like, but it is now trying to push forward some new IPs of its own, with things like Dead Space and Mirrors Edge.

Apparently, EA wants to continue to use this as the foundation to build the future of its business, citing other exciting creative properties like Halo, GTA, etc. As a company, they’re realizing that people are flocking to great original games (go figure), and better yet, they’re less expensive than a Madden or NCAA due to licensing.

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Are We Really Ready For Next Gen?

Over the years, I’ve owned a lot of consoles. At one point or another I’ve been the master of the NES, Atari, Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation (uno, dos, tres) the GBA, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, XBox, GameCube, XBox 360, PSP, the PC and Nintendo Wii. I like consoles, and the games that come with them. Each console represents a unique period of my life, in which I had a chance to become familiar with the system like a new friend, watching as they grew into their own.

The newest generation of consoles is starting to gather its steam, and so far things have been decent. However, as of late, more and more people are starting discussions about the next generation beyond the 360, the Wii and the PS3, speculating about development and wanting to know when the new systems will drop. My question is: is it time to be talking about this already? Have the big 3 earned an investment in a new console just yet?

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Rumor: PS4 Specs?

So once again, I wonder aloud- is it already time for the next gen (you’ll see more about that this weekend)? A rumor has been going around about the potential PS4 specs. Apparently, Sony has sent out some stuff to developers asking for feedback on a few specs that they have in mind.

When is Sony planning on launching this? 2011, by the looks of it. Wow.

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Bioware Announces the New KOTOR MMO

Ah, at last we have arrived. Even though people have known about this project for months, it’s finally official: Bioware is indeed working with LucasArts to create a new KOTOR MMO titled The Old Republic. It takes place about 300 years after KOTOR, and centers on the war between the Old Republic and the Empire.

IGN has a writeup of one of the pillars of the game– characters and story, something that’s lost in MMOs typically. Bioware’s goal is to let you feel like you are actually part of the narrative. Rather than having some big general story that everyone kind of participates in, there is an overarching story for each class. Sounds incredible and ambitious.

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Ubisoft Making Tom Clancy Mega Game?

So in a pretty ambitious move, it seems that Ubisoft is aiming to turn all of its Tom Clancy properties into one gigantic mega-game in the neart future. Basically, each game will feed off of each other, branch into the next one, and maybe even features missions set under different styles of gameplay.

While I’m not sure how this all will work, the idea of it is pretty hardcore. If it’s just a matter of one story continues into the next game, I doubt anyone will really care. I mean, I’m not too jazzed about the Tom Clancy universe personally, though I’m fine with the snippets I get here and there.

Also, if it’s all just crammed into one game, might it be a case of doing lots of styles well but none of them great?

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GameCop Vs LameCop #2

GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, taking on the persona of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.

This week, we tackle several issues including silent heroes, Playstation Home and Blizzard’s epic wtf weekend.

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GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather?

There comes a time in every gaming community’s young life where its members sit around a campfire and share about their personal gaming preferences. Since we don’t have a fire, and I’m afraid of face-to-face interactions with other humans, I thought the interwebz would be a good place for us to share what we enjoy about gaming.

In “Would You Rather’, I simply ask a series of questions, and you follow up with your responses. Give as much or as little explanation as you want with your answers. Unless they suck. In that case, you’re cut from life.

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New, Unique Ideas Coming to Next Zelda

Poor Link. He’s gone from 2D to 3D to cel shading to dark and gritty. He’s been all over the place.

Actually, come to think of it, the only thing that’s changed about him since Ocarina of Time is the way he looks. The core of all of the Zelda games has remained unchanged for some time now, but it looks like Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Link, has implied he wants to rectify this for the next iteration of the franchise.

According to him, something new is coming.

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Introducing: GameCop vs LameCop

GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, taking on the persona of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.

This week, we tackle several issues including pre-order incentives, video game hype and Nintendo re-packaging GameCube games and selling them for the Wii.

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